I’m a pretty optimistic person most days, but occasionally things have a way of piling up bit by bit, gaining momentum, building to a crescendo of filth and despair. You were there, you saw what happened in 2014 here in St. Louis, here in America, here on Earth. I don’t need to link to the articles detailing the many spectacular and horrific ways that we’ve managed to murder, rape, torture, deceive, intimidate and otherwise subjugate our fellow human this year, nor will I cast shade towards the media empires profiteering from our ceaseless parade of ignorance. We can all finally see ourselves for what we are, should we choose to. For me to spend your precious time rehashing these injustices would be gratuitous. Instead, I’m going to link to a blog post that made me cry and helped turn my day around.
Paul Ford is, among many things, the kind of writer who can make you feel like he’s made this thing just for you. Today he published a thousand word letter to his children about the current state of the world and what it might be like when they are grown. It’s titled “Dear Kids” and here’s an excerpt:
The idea that there is anything especially bad about 2014 is temporal narcissism. We just live in an age of countless opinions. We are just starting to get used to it, this idea that we can document everything. We can document it but we can’t begin to interpret or understand it.
I encourage you to go and read the whole thing and if it makes you feel the way I do, take a moment to share it with someone you know who could use a pick-me-up.
Periodically yours,
Bob Sherron
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